Flavors of SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition

Flavors of SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition

SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, a free edition of SQL Server is ideal for learning and building applications for desktops, servers and the web.
One of the biggest changes from its previous versions is the maximum size of database that can be supported on Express editions. The current version of Express Edition supports databases of upto 10 GB but it still supports one 1 CPU and 1GZ of RAM. SQL Server 2008 R2 offers 4 different variants of express editions. These are:
SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Database Only: This includes the core SQL Server 2008 R2 relational database engine but not the business intelligence (BI) subsystems like Analysis Services, Integration Services, or Reporting Services. This minimal installation option also doesn’t include any built-in management tools. However, most of the SQL Server core features are included such as support for the CLR and support for all data types, including the new geospatial and FILESTREAM data types. This option is suitable for including in ISV packages and as a database for custom applications. This can be downloaded from: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9729742

SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Database with Advanced Services: The SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Database with Advanced Services option is the most full-featured SQL Server 2008 R2 Express edition. This includes the basic SQL Server relational database engine, as well as SSMSE, support for full-text search, and support for Reporting Services. YES, it has SSRS with limited features and works only with the local SQL Server 2008 R2 Express instance. This can be downloaded from: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9729748